The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 114: The Heaven’s vault

Chapter 114: The Heaven’s vault

Hex felt his consciousness being sucked into the monolith the moment the spatial mark activated.

His surroundings changed once more. Hex expected the experience to be painful but it wasn’t.

’Perhaps I have been using my consciousness so frequently to enter my inner space, it has become to such things.’

The moment he connected with the monolith, he felt his affinity with space itself increase by many folds.

When he looked around, he saw a strange sight. His body stood frozen beside Wallen. He looked dazed.

’Is that how I am when I enter my inner space?’ Hex realized how defenseless he was in this state. He also realized how lucky he had been to have never encountered multiple hidden opponents.

When he focused, he could see the ethereal form of the baroness glowing beside him in the inner space.

’Space is wonderous. I am here, there, everywhere.’ The monolith gave him an omnipresence as if he embodied Heaven itself.

He could sense a very faint and distant pull of his being. The pull force came from the sky. Perhaps, he mused, beyond it.

Seeing the dark clouds and the flashes of silvery and golden light behind them, he got curious. He let his senses float upward.

It was a wonderful experience. The ground was growing distant. He saw the massive tear in the earth, the destroyed southern tower, and the cracked castle ground.

’What is that?’ He wondered with a frown when he saw three holes dug beside the tower. It looked freshly dug. Their shapes were vaguely familiar.

’Are they graves?’ The more he looked at the holes, the more they resembled graves. Hex was familiar because he had part-timed as a gravedigger, too, when he was learning the ropes of being a Crevice Hunter.

He immediately remembered the strange actions of the gardener when he arrived at the castle earlier in the night. Something about that man felt off. But Hex was certain the gardener was just a regular man, devoid of Blessing. Thus, he chose to ignore him for now. Plus, he had reached the dark clouds.

The dark clouds were damp and ominous. Even in ethereal form, Hex felt his mood being affected. Moving through them felt like his purpose and joy of being alive was being sucked away. His will to withstand all the shocks tonight was being corroded.

Bam!

Just when he felt like was stuck in a quagmire of hopeless existence, a bright and warm light erupted, tearing the dark clouds apart.

’That was awful. It felt like all negative emotions were increased a hundredfold.’ Hex shuddered. His gaze landed on the baron, who glowed like a sun in the summer. Hot, burning, but providing life.

The baron’s armor was destroyed. Black patches of corroded skin could be seen in the places his clothes were missing. His face had smudges of dried blood. And there were patches of bald skin amidst his golden hair.

Hex clenched his fists. Seeing the baron in such a miserable state caused him pain. Even though their relationship was vague and lacked proper bonding moments, the man before him had been a major part of his life. And he was his master. He hadn’t checked the Knight’s path yet but he was certain it would help him tremendously. A gift of wisdom was not taken or given lightly. It created a bond more sacred than the bond between a parent and a child.

The Witch stood opposite him, shattering all the silvery chains obstructing her, with ease. Seeing the silver-haired lady going out once more, filled Hex with admiration. She might have her Nine Lives Technique but she wasn’t required to spend all of it in this battle. She could have escaped. But she chose not to.

’The pain of dying multiple times is not something I can imagine. But she continues fiercely,’ Hex mused, feeling immense respect for her mental fortitude.

The battle between the powerhouses was too fast and too great for Hex to fathom.

Each of the baron’s attacks seems to dazzle and blind while simultaneously tearing the clouds and darkness into pieces. The Witch, despite her power, refrained from taking any of his attacks head-on.

Suddenly, both looked toward Hex, startling him. The baron swept his gaze away rather quickly but the Witch’s cold eyes lingered a bit longer. For a brief moment, Hex was wary she would attack. But the baron resumed his assault, sending more powerful sword strikes her way.

Hex hurried away, ascending further into the sky. He relied on the faint pull he sensed on his soul through the connection with the monolith. His senses pulled him higher, seemingly transcending space and time itself.

The force of attraction increased faster and faster. Time and place have lost their meaning. He felt like he had been going on for ages.

Everything around him was dark. The darkness was more like emptiness, a void. Nothing seemed to exist.

It was easy to lose oneself in nothingness but Hex pulled through. He didn’t let his consciousness fade this time.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, light appeared. It was white light but with a sense of purity and holiness in it. The light, bright as it was, didn’t blind him. It was warm.

The light came through the gaps of a massive door, made of gold and a white stone that radiated purity and divinity. There was a giant arch above the door, adorned with crystals, radiating unimaginable power.

"Let your consciousness meld with the door," he heard the baroness say from behind.

Hex did as he was told.

Boom.

Suddenly everything changed. With stunned eyes he noticed he was back in the tower, standing beside Wallen’s body.

He realized quickly that it wasn’t dark anymore. With a start, he looked up. The night sky was lit up. Bright white light with golden edges shone from above, illuminating everything in the surroundings.

...

"It’s almost time to end all this," an old man said, leaning against the tower. He was out of breath. Mud covered his old clothes. He looked at peace sitting among the plants he had tended all these years.

...

At the foot of the hill, Ella looked at the descent of the Vault, her eyes filled with devotion. "It’s almost time for the new era to start."

...

Hestia and the others stood amidst the slum dwellers who were prostrating on the ground. The light emitted peace yet their hearts were heavy. They knew the end, and a new start was almost upon them.

...

"Hahaha," the Witch cackled loudly, her voice reverberating through the air. "You made Heaven’s descend, but what will sacrifice this time, Mikhael? That boy?"

Her voice echoed through heaven and earth, making Hex’s heart tremble. The baron remained silent.